by Cari Quinn
Tris let go of her shirt with a little snap of the rayon shirt. He’d left a wet spot behind. A bullseye for Sparks to find.
And he did.
His hot gaze was drawn there.
Tristan yanked her chair closer and dropped his arm around her shoulders. “Sparky knows best.” He dropped a hot kiss along her neck and then transferred his attention to her mouth before standing. “Besides, nobody puts baby in the corner.” He grinned. “Am I right?” he asked Sparks.
Sparks’s hands were fisted at his sides. She wanted to lean forward and help him. To let him see that it didn’t have to be this big thing. That having fun and easy touches were just what she wanted.
Instead, she followed Tristan into the kitchen as Sparks picked up plates behind her. Both of them cleared the table like seasoned waiters, leaving her with nothing to do but to take the empty wine bottle and her glass.
The guys had this weird dance going on. Two men that knew exactly how to move around each other in a room. She lowered herself onto the tall barstool stashed along the window, content to watch.
When Sparks passed her, his eyes averted, she grabbed his belt loop and reeled him in. “Stop.” She crowded him, sliding her knee between his legs. “Relax.” She peered up at him. “I just want to be with you. To be with both of you, but I don’t want you to get so wound up about it that you don’t enjoy it.” She dragged her finger over his lower lip. “Enjoy me—us.”
His gaze crashed into hers. “I want this.”
“Good.” She stood up on her tiptoes, replacing her finger with her mouth. “I do too.”
She glanced over to where Tristan was leaning against the island, and he crossed his arms. “I’m hard enough to drill a hole into marble. Pretty sure that means I’m on board too.”
“Good.” She let Sparks go with a final cupping squeeze along his cock. “Now let’s get this kitchen cleaned up, huh?”
Chapter Twelve
Candles. Didn’t they have one freaking candle in the entire apartment?
While Juliet and Tristan were cleaning up the kitchen, Randy dug through the drawer of odds and ends in his dresser. He had lots of random shit from his many days on the road with every band from Anthrax to Zenith, and he’d found some gems in that drawer before.
One thing he did not have was condoms. He didn’t have much use for them. He wasn’t a monk exactly, but he didn’t usually need to keep them on hand. Before Juliet and Tris last weekend, he hadn’t had sex of any sort since, hmm, probably that night he’d wined and dined his left hand over the summer. After dealing with a series of technical difficulties on the Breakers’ limited run tour, he’d had two choices—fuck himself or fuck some shit up.
The former had seemed like a good option.
Luckily, Tris could be counted on in the condoms department. He never lacked for female company for long.
Randy pulled out a tray of junk and inched his hand beneath it, discarding old matchbooks and guitar picks and interestingly, a few girly hairpins. Not even sure where he’d picked up those. But he didn’t throw them out. They were road memorabilia, and as such, worthy of hoarding. He didn’t have many belongings, so if he decided to keep a few reminders of all the people he’d met, he was allowed.
And hey, he’d even found a condom, circa probably 2009. As in the first time he’d needed any. Doubtful that was still effective.
“Hey Sparkage, you ever coming out of there?”
He shook his head at Tris’s latest bastardization of Juliet’s nickname for him. “Just a minute.”
“We’re in the living room. If you come out in a smoking jacket, I’ll kick your ass.”
“Smoking jacket? Who the hell do you think I am, the Hef?”
Randy didn’t hear Tris’s response on the other side of the door, but he did hear Juliet’s.
“He doesn’t know that Playboy guy in person, does he? Gross.”
“Nah. He’s only been to the mansion six or eight times.”
“Asshole,” Randy called out. “Gimme a sec.”
Probably stupid to even bother with candles now. She’d been there for a couple of hours already, and she didn’t seem like a girl who needed romance to have fun. This wasn’t even about that, right? Just extended fucking and friendship. Adding a night two to the festivities didn’t change what they were about, but shit, candles were just nice.
So he liked lights and cared about ambience. If Tris could spend half an hour fretting over getting freaking marinara just right, he could have a few candles.
Assuming he could find some, which he could not. He’d have to rectify that in the future.
Why? You know this isn’t going to continue. They don’t want anything serious.
Nope, he was not going down that road tonight.
He was just about to give up when he bumped into a dented, mashed box that turned out to be a half-used package of birthday candles. Not exactly what he’d been going for, but hey, Tris had made muffins last week and a couple were still in the jar. They could work.
Maybe he’d win some charm points that made up for what he lost for style.
A quick detour to the kitchen netted him two muffins, not three. So he substituted a leftover pastry Tris had brought home from some tasting platter and arranged them on a plate before sticking in the candles and lighting them up. The candles leaned sideways and the flames danced more than was probably safe, but good enough.
Carefully, he carried his snack-for-three down the hall. This would make her laugh if nothing else.
And probably give them approximately two minutes of ambient lighting before the candles became a fire risk.
“Okay, so I didn’t come prepared,” Randy said when they just stared at him as he entered the living room. “Normally, I’d have actual candles, but these will have to do.”
“Normally when? You haven’t brought a woman here ever.”
Ignoring his buddy, Randy set the plate on the coffee table beside the chilled bottle of Malbec and three wine glasses. One was full, the other two were nearly empty.
“Is it someone’s birthday?” Juliet asked.
Tris snorted. “Um, no, unless it’s yours. More like I guess he thinks this is romantic?”
“Not romance,” Randy said quickly, taking a seat opposite them. “Just ambient lighting.”
“Ambient lighting, right. Because those old as fuck candles won’t melt into my petit four and nearly stale carrot muffins anytime now.”
“Make a wish,” Randy said to Juliet. “Close your eyes,” he added when she started to speak. “And wish. Then blow out the candles.”
Juliet scooted to the edge of the couch. “I’ve never done this when it wasn’t someone’s birthday.”
Tris shook his head. “You’re not the only one.”
“Just make a wish, all right? Don’t tell us what it is and blow them out.”
She shut her eyes. “All of them? What about you guys? Don’t you get wishes too?”
“I’ve already gotten mine for tonight.” Lips twitching, Randy ignored Tris as he clasped his hands by his heart. “Tris can’t wish because he has a shriveled up soul. To wish would mean he actually had hope he could have something new.”
Randy regretted the words as soon as they were out. They were messing around, just kidding. Tris didn’t mean anything by his jabs. That was just the way he was. But what Randy had said unintentionally cut deeper.
Juliet obviously didn’t pick up on the tension caused by Randy’s remark—if there even was any. With Tristan, it was almost impossible to tell. He just poured more wine and smoothly snagged Juliet’s glass to do the same.
“Okay, I wished. Ready?” She gathered her loose dark hair in her hand and held it back before leaning forward to blow.
She took out all three candles with one exhale, and Tris whistled. “Look at that pucker, baby.” He tugged her into his arms for a quick kiss and she responded eagerly, fisting a hand in his shirt before easing back to beam at Randy.
&nb
sp; “I’ve been practicing.” She tucked her tongue in her cheek and fluttered her lashes, making both men laugh. “But unfortunately, I can’t eat anything else right now. Tristan stuffed me.”
“Not yet, but I will soon.” He nudged her leg and she grinned, downing some of her wine.
“So cocky.”
Randy smiled. “Don’t use that word around him. It gets him too excited.”
“We’ll save these for later when we need sustenance.” Tris nudged the plate aside and waggled his brows. “So let’s play a game.”
“A game, huh? Does it involve me getting naked?”
“Of course. Do I look stupid?”
“No, you look very chef-like.” She patted Tristan’s leg and laughed again as he took the opportunity to lean in for a kiss.
Randy leaned back in his chair. “What kind of game?”
“Never have I ever. Thought it’d be a good icebreaker.”
“Icebreaker? We threeway fucked. Who needs broken ice?” When both men stared at her, she gave a delicate shrug and sipped. “Just saying.”
Randy crossed his ankles. “Yes, but we can’t be in bed all the time.”
“Says who?” Tris raised a brow.
“Okay, I’m game. I’ve never played before. How do we do it?”
“It’s easy. One of us starts with something they’ve never done, and the other two have to say if we’ve done it before or not. If you have, then you take a drink. If only one person takes a drink, you have to give details.”
“I heard the rules differently,” Randy began.
“Yeah, there’s a few different rule books out there. This is our version for tonight. All good?”
Juliet nodded and took another sip. “Bring it.”
“Sparkster?”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go.”
“Fine. I’ll go first.”
“Wait, I have a question.” Juliet set down her glass. “Is there room for embellishment or is this like truth or dare?”
“No embellishment. If you lie and get caught, then you have to blow us at the same time.”
“Oh really. And what if you lie and you get caught? Do you blow him too?”
“No,” Randy said. “We aren’t blowing each other.”
“It’d be kind of hot.”
“Yeah, and so would you wrestling with Kate Hudson in a vat of Jell-O. We all have unfulfilled dreams, sweetness. Now here we go.” Tris picked up his wine glass. “Never have I ever had McDonald’s French fries.”
“What?” Juliet laughed and sipped. “Of course I’ve had them.”
Randy did the same.
“You’re lying. He’s lying, right?” She glanced at Randy. “C’mon now.”
“Nope. I do believe that is truth. He is fond of In-N-Out Burger, which is part of the paradox of Tristan Eves.” Randy toasted Tristan with his glass. “My turn. Never have I ever brought a girl to a motel.”
Juliet smirked. “Me either, though I did kiss a few back in the day.” She drank and glanced at Tris. “You?”
“I’m more interested in you kissing girls. So the Jell-O thing is a possibility?”
“If the blowing each other is, sure.”
“Next,” Tris said.
“You didn’t give your answer.”
“No, I’ve never brought a girl to a motel. That’s what the back of my Jag is for. Your turn, Jules.”
“A Jag, hmm? Ooh la la.” She laughed. “Never have I ever lip synced.”
Tris rolled his eyes. “Right, because that relates to both of us. I haven’t either.” He drank and nodded to Randy. “You’re up.”
“Actually, I have.” Randy slid his hand over the top of his wine glass and waited while they stared at him expectantly. “What?”
“Did you miss the sharing part?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s nothing interesting. Just in high school theater, my drama club put on a theatrical reenactment of Sonny and Cher’s ‘I Got You Babe’ although they changed the words and music a bit so we wouldn’t get sued. They created a whole skit to go with it and, well, I ended up as Cher.”
“What?” Juliet laughed so hard Randy expected her to start rolling on the couch. “No way.”
“Yeah, way. I guess I could fake sing close enough to her that I got the part. My fault for messing around. Except the day of the first show I got laryngitis so I had to lip sync to a recording of myself singing the songs.” Though it wasn’t his turn to drink, he needed to take a slug or two. “It was as bad as it sounded.”
“Oh God, I want to see you do that. Actually, I’d pay good money to see it. Any price you asked.”
“Never.”
“Is that when you learned to play the guitar? For the show?”
“Actually, yes. I started messing around one day with the props and... Yeah.” His ears were heating up, a sure sign it was time to change subjects. “Your turn, Eves.”
Tristan shook his head and contemplated his half full wine glass. “Not sure I can follow up that one, but I’ll give it a go. Never have I ever blacked out from drinking.”
“Never have I ever,” Randy agreed. Easy ones were good.
Juliet studied her wine glass. “Truth, huh?” she asked quietly.
“Yes.” Tristan rubbed her leg. “But you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“But we made him.” She inclined her chin toward Randy.
“That was different,” Randy said. “Yours is personal. Mine wasn’t.”
“It’s been a long while. But back when I was in Paris, and before that, yes, there were times.”
“Multiple times,” Randy said, keeping his voice even.
Being around bands as much as he’d been, he shouldn’t have been surprised. It all came part and parcel with the rock and roll lifestyle, and God knows he’d seen and heard much worse.
But Juliet rarely seemed to touch alcohol. Sure, she was drinking now, but it wasn’t to excess. They were just having a good time.
“Yes.” She held Randy’s gaze, then shifted to encompass Tristan as well. “Enough that I stopped drinking entirely for a while, because I wasn’t always with the safest people and I couldn’t be sure I’d be okay while I was out.”
“Did anything ever happen?” Tris asked sharply, holding up a hand before she could speak. “Sorry, out of line. That’s not party game conversation.”
“No, but it’s conversation I’d have with friends I trust.” She wet her lips and lowered her head. “No, nothing I remember. But that’s just it. I don’t know for sure. So I stopped partying after the last time I woke up and barely knew the person whose house I’d stayed at.” She took a quick, bolstering sip. “There was stuff I was trying to forget, but that wasn’t the way to do it. It never is.”
“You can talk to us.” Randy leaned forward and set aside his glass. “We won’t share anything you tell us with anyone else.”
“She just said she trusts us, Rand. Give her space.”
Randy narrowed his eyes at Tristan. “I think she can speak for herself.”
“She just did. Try hearing her and leaving it alone.”
“Guys.” She touched Tris’s wrist and nodded at Randy. “Yes, I know that, but it’s nice to hear it. It’s also nice to have both of you so willing to leap to defend me.”
Tris turned over his hand and took hers in a loose grip. “He just wants to get into your pants.”
Randy started to toss back a response, but Juliet smiled and replied before he had a chance.
“And you, Tris? What do you want to do?”
“I want you to get into mine. A fundamental difference between me and my boy Sparkplug over there.”
What Tristan wanted was to change topics, Randy realized. Not just for Juliet’s sake, but probably his own. The last thing his best friend ever liked to discuss was feelings. He’d be there for you in a heartbeat when you needed something, and he’d gladly back you up in any situation, but he wasn’t interested in discussing emotions. Ever.
> “Back to you.” Randy glanced at Juliet and again picked up his glass.
Her naughty expression clued him into how much she wanted to change the subject too. “Never have I ever used a cock ring.”
“A cock ring?” Randy nearly choked. “I’m assuming you mean with a guy. Makes sense, since you were a virgin.”
“Oh, but I wasn’t a virgin to other forms of sex play, as you could tell.” Lightly, she brushed her fingertips over her breast, and Randy simultaneously flushed and grew hard. “Which we’ll save for later rounds. Your turn to answer, boys.”
“Can’t say never to that one.” Tristan took a long drink and glanced at Randy. “You?”
“Never have I ever. Never needed one.”
“Oh, it’s not about need, son, it’s about pleasure. You should try it sometime.”
“We’d be willing,” Juliet said, tossing a smile at Tris. “Right?”
“You’d be doing the heavy lifting there, so that’s your call.”
“Oh, I bet I’d love it. We’d love it.”
The look she gave Randy nearly melted off his damn jeans. Another few seconds of that and he’d be running out to scour the stores for every brand of cock ring known to man.
“You’re at bat,” she purred, knowing full well he was as rigid as one thanks to her.
“Never have I ever had anal sex.” Great, just what he wanted to admit in front of Tristan “I’ve done everything that’s been invented and some stuff that hasn’t been officially yet” Eves.
“Damn, you have lived a sheltered life.” Tristan shook his head and drank.
And then to Randy’s shock, so did Juliet.
“Now this is getting interesting.” Tris ran a finger over her knuckles. They were still loosely holding hands, though Randy wasn’t sure they fully realized it. “Do tell, babe.”
“Figures you want to hear all about that.” She chuckled. “Let’s just say I liked to party in high school, and between my friends and what was happening in my less than stellar home life, there was no way in hell I intended to risk getting pregnant. Alternatives are good.”
“Shit, I wish I’d gone to your high school. At mine, the girls I dated would’ve braided my nuts if I even suggested ass play, never mind full anal.”